Eccentric singer had claimed that Activision had unlawfully used his band's music and an image of guitarist Slash

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has suffered a huge blow in his bid to secure $20million (£13.3million) in damages from Activision, the makers of the Guitar Hero video games.

Rose had claimed that Activision had fraudulently induced him into allowing them use of Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ in Guitar Hero III.

He also claimed that the game’s makers had included a character modelled on his former bandmate Slash, despite telling him that the game wouldn’t feature any reference to Slash or his band, Velvet Revolver.

Last Tuesday (August 14), a judge dismissed Rose’s claim that he had been fraudulently induced, but did set a trial date of February next year to hear his claim that Activision is in breach of contract, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

Rose also claimed that he had waited for over three years between Slash’s image appearing on the front of Guitar Hero and filing the suit as he was negotiating his own version of the game.

In a statement given to the court, he said: “The reason I did not file a lawsuit is because Activision – through my managers and representatives – offered me a separate video game and other business proposals worth millions of dollars to resolve and settle my claims relating to Guitar Hero.”

He continued: “From December 2007 through November 2010, Activision was offering me a Guns N’ Roses dedicated video game, a game dedicated to music from the ‘Chinese Democracy’ album, and other proposals.”

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Axl Rose’s lawyer Skip Miller has said he is “satisfied with the result” and said that he believes the trial will be “very interesting”.

Last week, the current line-up of Guns N’ Roses announced that they will be playing a 12-date residency at the Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in October.

The rockers will play a run of shows titled the ‘Appetite For Democracy’ residency and have promised to deliver a lengthy and career-spanning setlist at each of the shows. The shows begin on October 31 and then take place on November 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, 21, 23 and 24.